Photo: St. Cloud water beads, taken deep in the forest this afternoon near Archer Mountain. Tiny water drops caught on the tendril-like lines of a delicate spider web.
"The BIG picture is nothing less than a collection of little pictures," explained Archer. (Jigsaws, 0206, 2011)
Photo: This flower is called Honesty. I planted some in our backyard last year, as it is a favorite. The seeds have bloomed!
"I see you've planted seeds of honesty," said the Gardener. "Perhaps now we can get to know each other." (Prerequisites, 418, 2011)
Photo: Passion Vine at the Glendoveer Golf Course nature path, a two mile loop. The flower is still blooming as the fruit turns orange. This is perhaps one of the most beautiful of all flowers.
"Passion itself is neutral," warned Glendoveer, "a driver of good or evil." (Motives, 1030, 2010)
Photo: The seed pod/berry of Solomon Seal. I've been looking for this shot for over a month. Finally found one on the Indian Beach trail, and I really like. This berry is half the size of a small blueberry.
"You can never have too many details," explained Solomon. (Roots of Wisdom, 1031, 2010)
Photo: You have to be at the right place at the right time to see this phenomena. The conditions were just right to catch this fungus "sweating" beads of water.
"Water has many benefits," explained Wah-Kee-Nah, "like cleaning you up on the inside." (Detox, 1010,2010)
Photo: On the far left is Mt Hood. It's about 1700 hrs and I thought I'd like to see what the sun looked like through the seed pods of a dandelion.
"Have you ever wondered what you look like on the inside?" (Nothing Unseen, 1012, 2010)
Wondering about the day this happens to me.
Photo: Bunchberry from the Canadian Dogwood wildflower, also known as Dwarf Cornel. Each berry (edible) contains only one seed, but there are many berries (in this case, six)!
"Meet my kids," said the dwarf. "Courage, Patience, Joy, Peace, Kindness and Smarty-Pants." (Siblings, 924, 2010)
Cool family values
Photo: The single seed pod ~ bead berry ~ of the Queen's Cup wildflower. I've been searching for this treasure all month, and yesterday I struck gold on Squaw Mountain.
"I've accomplished many things," whispered the squaw, "but my greatest contribution is this Seed." (Motherhood: How One Woman Changed the History of the World, 923, 2010)
Photo: Baneberry (seed pod) ~ one of the many indicators that Autumn is upon us. I took this shot near Shinning Lake in the newly established Roaring River Wilderness Area of the Mt Hood National Forest.
"Seasons change, said the Shinning One, "and so so must you." (Coping With Change, 906, 2010)
Photo: The tiny Ceanosis, a favorite flower in the local bumblebee community of Fairview Village. It is also one of my favorites, but for an entirely different reason; I simply love the color blue.
"I am only one among many," said Cyan. "Without them, I have very little to offer." (Measuring Personal Worth, 0820, 2010)
Photo: Pipsisewa along the trail to Lena Lake on the Olympic Peninsula. These are a little tough to find and photograph, but you can see it is a handsome fellow.
"My life really changed once I decided to open up," answered Pipsisewa. (Hidden Image, 0811, 2010)
Photo: We just got back from hiking in the gorge, where I found this pink wonder. I think it is called Fiddle Grass, but I'm far from sure. It's about an inch across.
"I'm discovering I can be really happy without spending a lot of money!" (The Giver's Treasure Trove, 0810, 2010)
The follow-up on the identity of this flower is interesting pioneer history:
From: Paul Subject: Re: Fiddle Grass To: Dennis Date: Wednesday, August 11, 2010, 8:06 PM
Dennis,
Your mystery flower is red campion (Silene dioica, aka Lychnis dioica). From above, the flower looks much the same as fiddlegrass (which grows along the old highway on the Washington side of the river), but fiddlegrass has the stigma (female portion of the plant with a large creamy x-shaped structure above the opening at them middle of the flower, which this lacks. Red Campion is not native, and I remember seeing it along the old highway east of Crown Point for much of the last 25 years of so. Definitely an attractive garden plant (which escapes or was planted along the old highway when there were more structures present in the early days of that highway.) Note my new e-mail address below!
Cheers!
Paul
----- Original Message ----- From: Dennis To: Paul Sent: Wednesday, August 11, 2010 12:17:17 PM Subject: Fw: Fiddle Grass
Hello Paul,
Say, my good hiking friend, Terry Hill, photographed this flower in the gorge the other day... do you recognize it? He saw it along the old highway and I was wondering if it might be domestic????
Any ideas?
Dennis
Photos: 1) Scouler's Bluebell (1/2"), along the trail to Fish Lake in the Olallie North Basin Lakes system (this afternoon). 2) The GPS track for today's hike: 10.11 miles (50% bushwacking); 2,635 total ascent; max. elevation at 5,350. We visited nearly 20 tarns and lakes, swimming in one of the best!
"Scouler and I had a long talk today," said Olallie. "I have something I'm supposed to do." (Listening To Bluebells, 0808, 2010)
Avalanch Lilies
Photo: We just got back from hiking Pinacle Ridge to Barrett Spur (located just under 7,900 feet on Mt Hood's north face). The trail was beautifully decorated with 10's of thousands of Avalanch Lilies. Here's three of my favorites which I found in a shady area, and were back-lit by sunlight.
"You must let the Light pass through you," said Barrett. (Back-Lit, 0727, 2010)
Columbine
Photo: Wild Columbine along the trail to Lenor Lake and Big Slide Mountain. The flowers were in a dark, shaddy area, with the exception of a few blooms in direct sunlight. Couldn't resist.
"Do whatever it takes to get in the Light," warned Lenor. (Blindness: Cause and Cure, 0726, 2010)
Washington Lily
Photo: The beautiful Washington Lily (AKA: Cascade Lily) - fairly rare to find based on my experience. We were in the Bull of the Woods Wilderness, where we climbed Big Slide Mountain, went swimming in an alpine lake and then climbed Bull of the Woods Mountain. Nice day in the woods!! The white image in the background is Mt Hood, not a cloud.
"Come closer," said Lily, "you're going to like what happens in your nose." (Sensations, 0725, 2010)
Orange Agoseris (?)
Photo: Karis and I found this extraordinarily beautiful flower while hiking to the tarns below McNeil Point (Mt Hood Wilderness). It is a new flower to me, but I cannot identitfy it. (I don't think it is the orange agoseris, but maybe...) It is about the size of a quarter, blooms in flower clusters of 8, and has large (fuzzy) light green leaves.
"Wow! Some One really knows how to paint!" (Conversion of an Agnostic, 0714, 2010)
Photo: Meadow grasses up close. The grasslands of the Columbia River Gorge are a world of their own.
"I like you because you're gentle," replied Mary. (Soft Words, 0701, 2010)
Photo: Lady Slippers on the Tamanawas Falls Trail. We found over a dozen growing in crowded group last Monday. Lady Slippers tend to be solitary creatures, but these were on parade.
"You can never have too many shoes!" replied Tamanawas. (Every Woman's Closet, 0603, 2010)
Photo: Narrowleaf Skullcaps at Catherine Creek. "Names are very important, you know," explained Catherine. "Everyone should have at least three." (Monikers, 0605, 2010)
